Hershel's Dream
by iloveromance
Summary: A pillar to the community, Hershel is the one that the residents look up to. And so he finds himself exhausted after a hard day's work. But his attempt at rest conjures up the strangest dream. Written for SamandDianefan10 by myself and my husband.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: I got the idea for this story from a picture that was posted by melinda08 on Facebook of Steven Yeun and Lauren Cohen who portray Glenn and Maggie looking like a couple right out of the movie Grease! This is also a belated birthday present to her, written by myself and my husband in thanks for her friendship and support. **_

Hershel had a very long and tiring day. He started his day early in the morning by showing Rick important farming techniques in order to provide their small community with a sustainable food supply. Rick was not a farmer by trade, but in time Hershel was certain that it would soon become second nature. It was a small but integral means of survival. Hershel was essential to the overall health and well-being of the community. His advice was always held in high regard by the members of the community council and he was seen as the wise old man by everyone who knew him. A veterinarian by profession, he was the closest thing to a doctor that the community had. He went around the cell block and gave each resident a brief medical examination. It was a daunting task, for any outbreak of the flu or other contagious disease could prove to be disastrous to the community. And Hershel wasn't about to let that happen. They'd been through too much.

He checked the community's water supply and food reserves to make sure that anything not fit to eat was removed and properly disposed of. He also checked to see that the laundry facilities, the makeshift latrines and the sick ward were up to minimal sanitary standards.

He cherished his daughters, Maggie and Beth. Both women were strong willed and he tried not to worry about them. But he was their father and that's what father's did; worry about their little girls. Thank God that Maggie had Glen. He was good for her and Hershel knew that if, God forbid something were to happen to him, Glen would take care of her. It was only a matter of time before Hershel would no longer be on this earth. He tried not to worry about it; never seeing his daughters again, but it was inevitable that he would die someday. He just hoped it wasn't at the hands of walkers or some other terrible force. He didn't think Maggie would be able to get over something so tragic. But she was strong and God willing things would work out. They always did, although not the way he'd have liked them to. He certainly didn't like being in this situation; pondering his own death, but as the self-appointed doctor, he knew it was best to be prepared for anything.

Tiredness overcame him suddenly and he moved about his cell in the prison where he made himself comfortable on the lower bunk of the prison cell bunk bed. And as his thoughts began to fade, his eyelids began to close.


	2. Chapter 2

"_Daddy!"  
_

_Hershel looked up to see his teenage daughter Maggie running toward him, her worn overall straps shifting against her plaid shirt. She was every bit the tomboy, but Hershel knew that would soon change. Maggie was growing up faster than he thought possible (or wanted to believe that she could) and he had to admit that it was downright annoying. Why couldn't she stay his little girl her whole life? Why couldn't Beth?_

_Not only were both of his daughters growing up before his eyes, but Maggie was growing out of her tomboyish stage. Never was that more apparent than now as she ran breathlessly past the barn, causing the animals' undue stress. The chickens, cows and sheep made it known that they weren't happy with the intrusion and the noise was overwhelming.  
_

_"Maggie, how many times do I have to tell ya, if you scare those critters enough times, they're going to run and fly away? Then where will we be? In the poorhouse, that's where!" _

_She stood, her hands on her denim overall knees, fighting to catch her breath. "Sorry Daddy, I forgot."  
_

_"Yeah? Well if you don't start remembering, I'm going to make sure that you remember!" He held up his hand, a stern warning that he used often, and it seemed to work for the most part. Only now she simply laughed. _

"_Oh Daddy, come on! I'm too old to be spanked!"  
_

_His eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms in front of his body. "Not by Hershel Greene!" _

_Her smile disappeared and she lowered her head, as though ashamed of the disrespect. "Yes, sir."  
_

_"Now… What's gotten you so excited that you come running like the blazes, scaring our only means of food and sustainable life?"  
_

_Amazingly his daughter blushed, unable to get the smile from her face. "I met someone."  
_

_"Ah, good for you. I'm glad you'll have a girlfriend to run around with. It's not good for you to be alone, with no one to talk to but your sister. I've been trying to tell ya for months to find a few friends to hang around with. So what's this girl's name?"  
_

_"It's not a girl Daddy, its' a boy. His name is Glen."  
_

_Hershel's heart stilled. He'd been expecting this. Just not so soon. She was still his little girl and-_

"_Daddy? Are you all right? What's wrong? Is it your heart again?" _

_Maggie's hand was on his arm, her face filled with the concern that made him love her even more and he drew her close, kissing the top of her nose. "No darlin', I'm fine. I just… didn't expect to hear you say that you met a boy."  
_

_"I know, I can't believe it either, but I was downtown at the soda shop and there he was! And he even talked to me!"  
_

_Hershel nodded in defeat. There was no sense talking to his daughter to warn her about the dangers of talking to a boy she just met. She was too headstrong. But she was a good girl and he knew that she'd do the right thing. Or at least he hoped so. He'd lost her mother and he wasn't about to lose his daughter too._

"_So what do you think, Daddy? Can I go?"  
_

_He looked up, realizing that he'd completely missed everything she'd been saying. He had no idea what she was asking but he couldn't bear to make her ask it again. And so he decided to trust her. God willing, she'd do the right thing and this boy would turn out to be a well-respected young man, although with teenage boys, there was always the possibility that he wasn't.  
_

_"Daddy, please let me go. I promise I won't stay out late but I've never been to a dance before! Please? You won't even have to drive us! Glen is really nice and he has the coolest car. A blue convertible."_

_At that moment a million thoughts went through his head. Thoughts of her well-being and her history with boys… or lack of. Nights he'd spent holding her while she cried, because the girls at school all had boyfriends and she didn't. If he hadn't met his wife Josephine (God rest her soul), he wouldn't have two beautiful daughters. He could see Maggie waiting anxiously for his answer, the one that could break her heart or make her extremely happy. _

"_Well… All right. But on one condition. Two actually." _

"_Yes, Daddy?"  
_

_"Number one, that you bring this young man… what's his name again?"  
_

_"Glen, Daddy. Glen Rhee."  
_

_"All right. Bring this Glen Rhee person to the farm, because I want to meet him."  
_

_"Okay, I can do that. What else?"  
_

_Hershel couldn't help but smile. "That you let me take you downtown to the shop with the fancy dresses and let me buy you the prettiest dress you ever saw."  
_

_"You mean it?"  
_

_"Yeah, of course I mean it!" _

"_Thank you so much Daddy! I'll bring him by after school tomorrow, I promise!"_

_She ran and jumped into his arms, nearly knocking him to the ground the way she'd done when she was a little girl. He swung her around until her feet lifted into the air and they laughed as he put her back down.  
_

_Hershel smiled as his daughter ran into the house. He couldn't wait to meet the boy who had stolen his little girl's heart._


	3. Chapter 3

_Hershel sat in the chair staring at the closed door. Any second now his Maggie would emerge from the fitting room wearing one of the many formal dresses that she had carried in there several minutes earlier. Good Lord, how long did it take a girl to change into a dress? _

_He looked around the store yet again in amazement. The array of dresses in the small store was overwhelming. In his day, a girl only had a choice between two or three dresses, but this shop, despite its small size, easily held a hundred. And each of those dresses most likely came in at least two different colors. However, Hershel was certain that every shade of the rainbow was represented I the confines of one store.  
_

_"How do I look, Daddy?"  
_

_At the sound of his daughter's voice he looked up, unable to believe what he was seeing. His daughter stood in front of the three way mirror and then twirled around. In the light blue dress of sparkling satin that that had the thinnest straps that he'd ever seen, his Maggie looked more beautiful than he'd ever thought possible. And for a moment he was speechless. She twirled around once more, a huge smile on her face. The skirt flared, and her skin was absolutely glowing .She looked so incredibly happy. _

"_Daddy…" She pleaded. "The dress?"  
_

_He rose from his chair and went to her, looking her up and down. "Maggie… You look…"  
_

_"Yeah, Daddy?" Her eyes sparkled, as though pleading with him to tell her the truth._

_He smiled. "Baby, you look just like Cinderella."  
_

_Her cheeks flushed, making him chuckle. "Daddy…"  
_

_"We'll take this one." He said firmly.  
_

_"But I haven't even tried on the other-."  
_

_"None of those would even come close to this one."  
_

_"But you haven't-."  
_

_"I don't need to see any more of them. This one is perfect. Unless you don't want this one."  
_

_"Oh I do, Daddy!"  
_

_"Well then, how much do I owe you?" he said glancing at the sales associate.  
_

_Maggie's eyes widened. "Oh Daddy, really?"_

"_Of course. Only the best for my little girl."  
_

_She ran to him and threw her arms around him, in much the same way she'd done on the farm when she wore tomboyish overalls. But now she was far from a tomboy. She was prettier than a princess. _

_"Thank you, Daddy! Thank you! Just wait till Glenn sees me in this dress! He's going to die!" _

_Hershel smiled, but then her smile disappeared. "What's wrong, Mags?"  
_

_A look of concern came over her. "He __**will**__ like me in this dress, won't he Daddy?"_

_Hershel nodded and reached for her hand. "Of course he will. He'll love you, Maggie. I would be surprised if your Prince Charming doesn't try to steal you away from me."_

_She laughed, her cheeks flushing once more. "Oh Daddy…"  
_

_But Hershel wasn't smiling. For this Glenn character stealing his Maggie away from him was exactly what he was afraid of._


	4. Chapter 4

_Hershel was still tending to the chickens when he heard the sound of wheels crunching on the gravel driveway that led to the house and he couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit nervous. The chickens went wild from the noise, clucking and trying to escape their cages, their feathers flying everywhere. The ruckus gave Hershel a headache, but he ignored it and desperately tried to calm them. "Easy! Easy now!" he shouted as the chickens continued to make noise. Apparently they didn't understand English or were choosing to ignore him but he guessed it was probably the latter. And then he heard the sound of footsteps running through the gravel._

"_Hey Daddy! This is-."  
_

_"Dang it, Maggie! How many times do I have to tell ya-." Hershel whirled around, coming to a halt when he realized that she wasn't alone. She deserved a scolding for she knew better than to run around scaring the chickens, but he knew how much this boy Glenn meant to her and he didn't want to embarrass her. She stood before him, wearing the familiar overalls, but something was different. She wasn't wearing a tan shirt or even a black one. This one was pink. Never in his life had he ever seen her wear pink. Instantly an image of her mother came to mind. Her mother loved pink. And when he looked at his daughter again he was amazed at how much she looked like her mother and how much the pink shirt brought out the pink in her lips.  
_

_"Daddy, did you hear what I said?" She repeated, still breathless from running.  
_

_He blinked and shook his head. "No, I can't say that I did. The chickens…"  
_

_"I'm sorry sir, it was my fault." _

"_Daddy, this is Glenn. Glen Rhee." She said, the smile prominent on her face. She looked so happy and it warmed his heart. So few things had made their family happy lately.  
_

_The boy, who was tall with dark hair and looked to be a foreigner of some kind, smiled and extended his hand. But surprisingly he had no accent. Hershel had nothing at all against foreigners, and a fresh face was welcome on the farm. After a while people started to look the same around there. _

"_Likewise." Hershel said, shaking Glenn's hand. "So you're taking my Maggie to the dance, are you?"  
_

_Glenn nodded. "Yes, sir. Tomorrow night, if that's all right with you."  
_

_"It's fine. Just… Have her home at a decent hour, okay?"  
_

_"Oh yes, sir. Of course. And don't worry. I'll take real good care of her. You'll see. I won' let anything happen to her."  
_

_"Well, I'm glad to hear that, Glen. But you don't have to keep callin' me 'sir'. 'Hershel' will do just fine."_

_Glenn laughed nervously. "Okay sir-I mean, Hershel. I'll remember that."  
_

_Hershel chuckled and nodded. "Good."  
_

_Maggie grabbed Glenn's hand. "Come on Glenn, let me show you the horses. Bye, Daddy!"  
_

_As Hershel watched Maggie and Glenn run hand in hand out of the barn, he was reminded of himself when he was a boy; young and in love.  
_


	5. Chapter 5

"_Do I look okay, Daddy? Really?" Maggie asked, smoothing the sides of her dress with her hands.  
_

_"Yes, darlin', you're prettier than a flower." Hershel said from the doorway.  
_

_"Wow, Maggie! You look so pretty!" Beth exclaimed, running into the room. "You look just like Cinderella!"  
_

_Maggie laughed. "That's what Daddy said too, but I'm worlds away from Cinderella!"  
_

_But Beth shook her head. "I don't think so."  
_

_Maggie turned and hugged her sister, a sight that Hershel didn't' often see but never would tire of. "Thanks."  
_

_"When' s this Glenn fella coming again?"  
_

_"At six Daddy. And-."Maggie's eyes went to the clock and she gasped. "Oh no! It's almost six now! He's going to be here any minute!" She rushed past her father and sister and they scrambled to catch up with her.  
_

_"Hey, wait a minute now!" Hershel yelled, wishing he could run faster. "Maggie, wait up, now!" But she was already at the front door. From his position in the doorway, he saw Glenn, who was dressed handsomely in a black tuxedo scoop her into his arms and lift her off the ground. They kissed like the two lovesick teenagers that they were. _

_And then Glenn handed her a corsage that almost exactly matched her dress.  
_

_"Wow, you look…"  
_

_"So do you…" Glenn said breathlessly. "Wow…"  
_

_They kissed again and Hershel should have been sad that his little girl was finally growing up, but at the moment he was the happiest man alive. _

Suddenly the sound of sharp sirens could be heard echoing throughout the farm. But when he opened his eyes, he realized that he wasn't on the farm at all. He was in his cell; the one where he'd been living for much too long, on the lower bunk. He'd been here the whole time.

The volume of the sirens increased to an almost ear-splitting level, which could only mean one thing; the walkers had returned, most likely in full-force.

He grabbed his gun and ran to find Rick and the others. Rick would know what to do. He always did.

**THE END**

**A/N: Thanks so much for reading this and for the reviews. They are much appreciated! **


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